Montigny-en-Ostrevent is a small town in the Ostrevent, the strip of land between the Scarpe and the Escaut rivers east of Douai, and its miners' settlements, the Cités de Montigny and du Moucheron, are typical of the housing built by the mining companies in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Rows of brick houses with small gardens, built along straight streets, often with a church, a school and a shop nearby, formed the backbone of community life in the coalfield. These cités are part of the Nord-Pas de Calais Mining Basin World Heritage site.
The town also has a château, a reminder of the aristocratic landowners who held the area before the coal companies arrived. Nearby, the town of Douai is one of the most historic in the region, a former capital of French Flanders with a parliament and a university. Its Gothic belfry, a tall tower with a carillon of bells, is one of the finest in France, and the town is famous for its giants, Gayant and his family, huge wicker figures paraded through the streets every July in a festival that dates back to the sixteenth century.
The riding here is gentle and flat, with small roads winding through villages, fields and woods. The Scarpe valley offers pleasant routes along the river and its canals, with towpaths and old locks. The forests of Marchiennes and Raismes are not far, with shady roads and paths. Cobbles appear in some villages, and the roads can be slippery in wet weather. This is not a place for adrenaline, but for a relaxed ride through a landscape that tells a story.
The area has a quiet beauty, especially in spring and autumn, when the light over the fields and marshes is soft and golden. The terrils, now green, add an unusual element to the landscape, and some have walking paths and viewpoints. Birdlife is rich in the wetlands, with herons, ducks and occasionally storks.
Montigny-en-Ostrevent, under a kilometre away, has basic services. Pecquencourt, Lallaing and Douai have fuel and more options. In Douai, look for a brasserie on the main square, where you can enjoy a plate of moules-frites or a welsh, a northern dish of bread, ham and melted cheddar soaked in beer, perfect after a day on the bike.